Influence of climate on radial growth of scots pine (Pinus Sylvestris L.) In different habitats of Meshchera lowland

Abstract

This paper is devoted to the patterns of radial growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in various topoecological conditions of the Meshchera lowland (Ryazan region, the East European plain). The generalized tree-ring chronologies are constructed for 16 habitats differing in features of a relief of a day surface and a bedrock surface. Despite the relatively low-contrast relief of Meshchera, the average radial pine increment within the study area differs by 2.5 times (1.53.9 mm per year). The correlation and cluster analyses revealed that the key factor influencing the width of annual tree rings of pine is the amount of the available soil moisture. Its surplus (in wetlands) and deficiency (in conditions of sandy outliers) negatively affects the radial pine increment. It is established that in the waterlogged habitats positive correlation of the radial pine increment with temperature and negative with precipitation of autumn of the previous year is observed. The positive correlation of the radial increment with precipitation of autumn, May and with winter temperature is typical for a pine from arid habitats. The negative relationship between the pines growth and amount of precipitation and river discharge may occur with a lag of 14 years in conditions of wetlands. The positive relationship of the radial pine increment with the integral parameters of the current years moisture is more significant in conditions of relatively high hydrodynamics (for example, in conditions of sandy outliers).